I know some of you guys were into my falcony threads last year, here's the beginning of a new season. Saturday September 1'st was the opening day of falconers trapping season. I had my heart set on a big ole fat footed female this year. The very first hawk we trapped was just that. A good size female with huge feet. This ones feet are at least half the size bigger than the last 2 birds I've had. This will be the first year I've kept one this early in the season. So far she has been just amazing. She started eating off the glove the first night. She just started hopping to the glove in the house today. As soon as she starts flying across the room, it'll be time to take her outside and start flying her on a creance line. I hope to have her all trained and hunting with her the first week of October. Meet Lamoka - or Moka for short. Her back side This is right after trapping her. And here she was this morning.. You don't want to be on the wrong end of these things... Training pics to follow.. Take care Dave
It's called falconry - but this isn't a falcon - it's a Redtail hawk. I'll train it to let me hunt with it. They already know how to hunt - I just train them to let me help them hunt. I'll beat the brush to get rabbits to flush and the hawk will crash after them. They have some amazing flights after game. It's awesome to see it up close and personal. Here's a few pics from previous years outings..
I'm still amazed by this. It's hard for me to grasp how you can catch a wild hawk and have it sitting in your house the same day. I really didn't know they could tame that well. Do you keep your hawks until they die or do you turn it loose and get a new one every year?
Indeed.... THE FUN BEGINS. I just love your birds and pictures. Can't wait until there's a skift of snow cover and big bird is flying.
Lunger... he has all sorts of rules governing what he can do and how. Like he has to serve an apprenticship under a licensed falconer for 2 or 3 years. He has to capture his own bird. It has to be a certain age and he releases them every year and starts anew. The thing I love is how well his dogs have gotten along with the birds. He posted some videos a couple years ago. The look of a big old redtail coming head on at the camera is priceless. I was just out walking my brothers dog. Standing in front of his house overlooking the river here comes one of our resident Bald Eagles. It wasn't 2 minutes and down the river comes a gorgeous osprey. I love birds of prey.
Thanks guys. Yeah there is a lot of work and paper work you have to go thru to get to the point where you can trap and train a hawk or falcon. It's federally lisenced and state lisenced. You can only keep a passage bird, meaning one that was born that year. They are very intelligent creatues, it only takes 3 to 4 weeks to train one. I could keep this bird if I wanted to but it's just as easy to let it go and train a new one the following year. There's a lot of work involved in keeping a bird. It's not just a pet. You have to fly the bird everyday. But hunting with them is something few people ever get to see. All right folk - I'm off to watch some animal planet with the hawk..lol.. More pics to come.
Wow that is cool, didnt know you have to let them go, and catch them Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2
And damn Dave... I didn't know there was a pub in Smithville Flats. I spent all my time in Greene, Gilford, Bainbridge and the like. LOL Mostly I was camping over on Wiley Brook. I've been through Smithville Flats on many occasions over the past 50 years heading to my brothers camp near Prtichard/South Otselic. P.S. With her hackles all raised up... she looks like.. "I"m pissed at you... but I'll play along" LOL
Yeah they are a little overwhelmed when you frst capture them but they do calm down very quickly. Within a coule hours of them sitting on your fist, their hackles all go down and they tuck their wings back in. She's doing amazing so far, a lot easier to train than my last 2. Probably helps that I know a little more of what I'm doing too. She's already flying to my glove in the house the length of the leash. A couple more days and we'll move outside and start on the creance line.
Thats amazing I didn't realize you catch a new bird every year and release it. Thats awesome and I always look forward to your pictures. Thank you
That is SO cool. I hunted rabbits with Harris hawks in Scotland and just fell in love with the sport. I thought you had to raise them yourself though. Didn't know you could catch them wild and train them. Very cool. Cant wait to do that again. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome thread, one of my favorites each year. When you release a bird at the end of the year do the birds want to be released? Do they stick around? If in the future you saw the bird would it come to you?
